Started in Herbology
by RareChibiRyuu
Summary: It all started in Herbology, second year. Neville/Harry. Light slash. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!


**Hello, everyone! This'll be a one-shot, as a sort of self-welcoming present to me. **

**Pairing: Neville/Harry**

**Warnings: Slash, kissing… it's a very light fic. AU obviously**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Also, I took liberty with Neville's eye color… :P**

**Amusez-vous!**

If you were to ask Neville today where it all started, he would tell you that it was in Herbology, second year. It was the first class after the Mandrake incident. He had fainted, not because of the Mandrakes or anything, but he had been nervous as it was, considering how atrocious he was already at his other classes. He liked Herbology a lot and… well he couldn't rightfully tell you exactly how he had fainted, actually. Perhaps it was just nerve overload. Either way, he had fainted and made a fool of himself in his favorite class and he wasn't in the happiest of moods.

His foul mood was apparently tangible; others were giving him quite a lot of room in the halls as he stomped about, amusing the teachers and frightening a few of the first years, if you could believe it. He had even almost thrown an empty potions vial at Professor Snape's head, but he was still too frightened of the man to so much as look at him funny, much less throw anything.

In his silent tantrum, Neville just barely managed to make it to the Greenhouse in time, huffing and glaring and much disheveled. Sprout raised a brow. A lot like Snape, Neville thought, but less intimidating.

"Mr. Longbottom, just in time!" She started merrily. "Now, sit so that I can begin the lesson."

Neville blushed heavily, falling further into embarrassment and anger but not daring to talk-back to a teacher. He quickly scuttled to the only free place at the table, between Seamus Finnegan and Harry Potter. Seamus was snickering quietly at something Dean Thomas, who was to his left, had said and Harry was focused rather intently on the plant in front of him, eyebrows drawn in deep thought. Curious, Neville too began observing the plants.

They looked like regular lilies, but they were a deep cyan with white tips and black speckles around the base of the petals. They were making a soft humming sound, barely there under the noise of the class. Neville thought they were very pretty and leaned in a bit to smell before a hand landed gently on his shoulder. Professor Sprout started speaking.

"What you have before you is a very special species of lily merely called Lullaby Lilies. They are used in many of the stronger sleeping draughts and potions. One good whiff of their pollen will put you straight to sleep for a week! It is quiet unhealthy and often encourages nightmares, so it is ill advised to use the pollen to get to sleep." Oh. Well that explained the hand on his shoulder.

"Other than their pollen, Lullaby Lilies are quiet harmless. When they are healthy, they produce a low hum that calms the mind and relaxes the body. Many who suffer bad tempers will keep them in their homes. Your job is to keep these lilies healthy for two weeks. I will go around and teach proper handling and the like. When the two weeks are up, I expect to see the plants, dead or not." With that, she began walking around, making her way across the room to teach each child proper care individually.

Neville's eyes stayed on his plant, taking in the similarities between these lilies and others, wondering how different the care need to keep them healthy could be. Out the corner of his eye, Harry was reaching forward as if to pluck a petal and Neville almost panicked until Harry merely stroked the leaves, gently rolling them between the pads of his pointer and thumb, humming softly. Perhaps feeling his eyes on him, Harry's bright jade green met Neville's dark hazel and the other boy smiled sheepishly, taking his hand back. "They looked soft."

They were silent for a little while after that, but Neville kept his eyes where they were. Harry was shorter than Neville, though only by an inch or two and he was very thin, almost sickly so. At the time, the taller boy only considered that Harry might not eat all that much. He certainly never saw him eat that much. He also noticed that Harry's hair was actually a very dark brown and if he looked enough, he could see some red interwoven with the dark strands.

Harry met his eyes again and shifted slightly closer, eyes darting between him and his flowers. "Neville, your flowers've stopped humming."

Neville startled, knocking his elbow against the table in his rush to look back at his own plant, which shook it and other students had to scramble to keep their flowers from tipping over. Harry gasped, a delicate hand flying to cover his mouth and the other shooting out to grab hold of the rim of his flower pot, his own flowers still humming softly.

Neville apologized profusely to any student that would listen, particularly Lavender Brown, whose lilies would never be humming again, but on the inside, he was seething. The one class he was actually good at and he was being an idiot, again! He did so well last year! He put his head in his hands, fretting about his grade like only a child could. He was sure he would fail this year because of all these screw ups!

A quiet giggle tore him from his panic and his gaze snapped back to Harry, who was still covering his mouth, and Neville realized that it was in an attempt to keep from laughing. Neville huffed, a little indignant at being laughed at by Harry, of all people. And that's when Neville's life turned upside down.

Because Harry snorted.

It wasn't derisive or anything. It was a genuine giggle-snort-thing of pure, innocent amusement. Neville thought it was very cute.

Harry's face immediately flushed a shade of red that even a Weasley would envy and he now had both hands pressed against his mouth, trying to keep from laughing anymore. On Harry's other side, Hermione was looking at him oddly, perhaps never hearing him make that sound before.

Another thought then occurred to Neville. If that was Harry's true laugh and no one had ever heard it, then Neville was the first to ever make Harry laugh like that.

With a decisive nod, he decided that he would do whatever it took to hear that laugh again. And when Harry calmed down and began humming along with his lilies, Neville realized that he wasn't angry anymore and he was willing to admit that it had nothing to do with the stupid flowers.

NLHPNLHPNLHP

_Second year passed by in a blur after that. The fact that Harry was Parcelmouth didn't matter all that much to him, but the rest of the school didn't think so. Neville was just sad that, with all that was happening this year, he wasn't able to hear that laugh again. _

_When everything with the Chamber of Secrets came to an end, and all who were petrified entered the great hall, Harry had run to Hermione's side and enveloped her in a large hug. Ron had followed at a more sedate pace and almost didn't hug her when he got there but Harry dragged them both into a sort of group hug. Neville just barely managed to keep a smile as something foreign and not all together pleasant settled in his stomach. _

_Only when Harry shot him a tentative smile over Ron's shoulder was Neville able to breath a little easier._

NLHPNLHPNLHP

_Third year was not much better. Harry arrived in a poor mood and stayed in a funk for a long time. Neville was still adamant about hearing that laugh, but now he was more focused on just making Harry happier in general. Neville felt a strange ache in his chest when he caught sight of those sad green eyes, already so much less innocent than that day in Herbology. _

_Then, just when things were maybe looking up, Sirius Black manages to get into the school, Professor Lupin turns out to be a werewolf and Harry and Ron are in the hospital. However Harry, for whatever reason, appeared to be happier after that, in a bittersweet sort of way. Neville wasn't about to complain._

NLHPNLHPNLHP

It was nearly time for the Yule Ball, fourth year, when Harry genuinely laughed again. Neville had been practicing a waltz in the boy's dormitory, seemingly alone. He was already a decent dancer, what with his pureblood upbringing, but he was nervous. He had no date yet, nor did he really want one that wasn't Harry, but he supposed he would need to at least try to find someone. He needed to make sure that, should he actually get a date, he wouldn't make a fool of himself.

Just as he was twirling his invisible partner in a would be impressive move, the door opened and in walked Harry, startling Neville so bad that he scrambled back, tripping over his open trunk and getting stuck. By the time Neville was coherent enough to say anything Harry was trembling in suppressed laughter, both hands over his mouth to contain it.

Neville smiled sheepishly and attempted to push himself up, long legs kicking for a bit of momentum that never worked. His butt became sore quickly and he began grumbling, which escalated into cursing when he hurt himself after finally rolling out onto the floor. Harry was now pitching a loud laughing fit and every once in a while, a quick snort found its way in. Neville couldn't tell if Harry was embarrassed by it because he was laughing too hard.

Neville didn't even try to stop himself from joining. Thirty minutes later, when all their giggles and laughter was spent, they both lay there in the dormitory, the only sound being their heavy breathing. Hazel met jade and the taller boy was floored by the look in those eyes. It was so innocent, so pure, and before he could stop himself Neville kissed him.

It felt like an autumn breeze was circulating in his lungs and he took in a deep breath through his nose, tilting his head slightly for a better angle. It was incredible!

But it was wrong, right?

Apparently not. Long, thin fingers borrowed into the hair on the back of his head and the mouth below his responded with its own kisses. Neville blushed, slowly bringing his hands up to keep himself balanced half over Harry, palms splayed over the hardwood floor on either side of his head. There was nothing heated about this first kiss, merely innocent contact and a bit of exploration.

When his neck began to hurt, Neville rose up a bit and to his immense surprise, the other followed, not yet ready to break the kiss. When they did break apart, Harry was flushed and smiling brilliantly, with perhaps a bit of mischief in his glittering eyes. The hazel-eyed boy could only stare back.

Harry giggled a bit at the speechless flopping of the others lips, arms wound around his shoulders to keep from falling back.

Finally, Neville found his voice. "You have a cute laugh."

The boy-who-lived looked half-mortified at this proclamation. "I snort, Nev. It's ugly!"

"No!" Neville shook his head adamantly, nearly dislodging the smaller boy's arms, who grunted. "Sorry… but it is cute. It could never be ugly."

"Ahuh…" Harry mumbled skeptically. "How so?"

"Because it's real. Real laughs are always beautiful."

"Gah! Cheese!" Harry exclaimed, garnering a confused look from the pureblood. Harry grinned and said something about muggles before drawing the light-haired boy in for another kiss.

That Christmas, just after the Yule ball, Neville walked over to his bed for a good sleep to find a small pot of Lullaby Lilies humming softly in a familiar tune.

**GAH! I LOVE this pairing so much! ** **If anyone was confused, Neville wasn't the only one who fell in love that day in Herbology. Neville's awkwardness and petulant anger kinda endeared him. That's why Harry is so accepting of the kiss. And Neville isn't apologizing because Harry obviously enjoyed it. **

**The reason they didn't act on it was because neither were looking for a relationship yet. I figured the Yule Ball was a good excuse to finally start wanting to date. And yes, they danced at the ball.**


End file.
